Plasma HDTV

[S2000 Driver]

Originally Posted by Rubenonfire

I have a 50" Pioneer plasma. When I did my research it appeared to me to be the best, and I purchased it at a great savings from a dealer here in AZ. That being said, I'm not a HUGE home theater techie, so I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't something out there that's "better."

Hi Ruben,

Yes, there is now.

If this wasn't available, I may well have purchased the
Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1:


SONY KDL-52XBR3 52" BRAVIA® XBR® 1080p LCD HDTV

[Rubenonfire]

Originally Posted by S2000 Driver

Hi Ruben,

Yes, there is now.

If this wasn't available, I may well have purchased the
Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1:

What would make this LCD superior to all the other LCD's that have a considerable loss of picture quality over 46"?

[S2000 Driver]

Originally Posted by Rubenonfire

What would make this LCD superior to all the other LCD's that have a considerable loss of picture quality over 46"?

Ruben,

Can't say I agree with your general statement. A 1920 x 1080p native resolution display -- whether it be plasma or LCD, does not have considerable loss of picture quality over 46". I would argue that the home theater 'experience' doesn't even begin until the display exceeds 46"!

I have a 52" 1920 x 1080p native resolution LCD HDTV in a room with 10 large windows (5 windows are 3 feet to the right of the TV and 5 windows are 12 feet to the left) and my viewing distance is 7.5 feet. When I am watching a good quality 1080i/p source (low-compression 1080i broadcast or 1080p disc via HDMI connection) it is like looking at a high resolution photograph.

Rather than go through all the technical specs that you can see for yourself on the link I provided (click on the TV image), go to a high-end video retailer and see for yourself, e.g., Magnolia Home Theater, Tweeter, etc., and compare.

Unless you have an always darkened/windowless room at home -- or plan to watch TV only at night -- try to compare sets in a room with a level of ambient light similar to your viewing room at home. Don't let the salespeople 'trick' you into watching a plasma in a heavily darkened room which masks reflections and image wash-out.

Motion blur, shallow black levels, limited side viewing -- the traditional LCD-technology complaints -- have all been addressed by the SONY XBR2/3/4/5 Series.

However, as Chris posted above, you are the ultimate judge. Just be wary of the common 'wisdom' that plasmas are superior to LCDs. That may have been true 1+ years ago but it is no longer true -- certainly not at the high-end.

Just do your research/due diligence through reading and in-person viewing before spending big $$$ -- that is my strongest recommendation.

[vh_bu98]

Okay, I ended up picking up the Pioneer PDP-4280HD because anything larger than a 42 inch would have to be 1080P. But when I was comparing the Pioneer with the Panasonic and Samsung 1080P, the Pioneer 720P blew them away in terms of quality. The Pioneer Kuro line is quite amazing and I haven't even calibrated mine yet.

I was thinking about the elite version, but I wouldn't use the extra features so I would rather put the money towards a blu-ray player...probably a PS3 since my 360 just got the ring of light.

One thing most people don't think about is how standard TV will look. It's all about the processor since resolution won't be as relevant and that is highly dependent on the TV quality.

Pioneer is definitly on top of their game. I did look at the Sony XBR 2 & 3 line, but didn't want to deal with the clouding issue. This may have been resolved with the 4 & 5, but those haven't quite hit the stores yet.

[S2000 Driver]

Originally Posted by vh_bu98

...I did look at the Sony XBR 2 & 3 line, but didn't want to deal with the clouding issue...

Now that you mention it, I do see some clouding on the Sony XBR3:



Clouding on some Sony XBRs, poor shadow detail on some Pioneer 4280s, hey, nobody said they were perfect!

[Rubenonfire]

Originally Posted by S2000 Driver

Ruben,


However, as Chris posted above, you are the ultimate judge. Just be wary of the common 'wisdom' that plasmas are superior to LCDs. That may have been true 1+ years ago but it is no longer true -- certainly not at the high-end.

Just do your research/due diligence through reading and in-person viewing before spending big $$$ -- that is my strongest recommendation.

Thanks for the tips! Thankfully I already have my TV and it's a beauty, so I can be done stressing over that. I'll keep that in mind for anyone that I may counsel later on about getting one.

I'm not really a technophile, so as long as it looks good, has good value and comes from a reputable manufacturer I'll take it. Honestly, for what I use it for the picture on my Pioneer is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Better than any other TV at its size that I've seen pushing the signal that I watch...1080i from the cable box and 1080i from the XBox 360.
To me there's no sense in buying super-top-end when A) I can't even see the difference B) the technology will be "old" in about 10 seconds and C) It comes at a premium.

Then again, I do own a Rolex...

[S2000 Driver]

Originally Posted by Rubenonfire

Thanks for the tips! Thankfully I already have my TV and it's a beauty, so I can be done stressing over that. I'll keep that in mind for anyone that I may counsel later on about getting one.

I'm not really a technophile, so as long as it looks good, has good value and comes from a reputable manufacturer I'll take it. Honestly, for what I use it for the picture on my Pioneer is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Better than any other TV at its size that I've seen pushing the signal that I watch...1080i from the cable box and 1080i from the XBox 360.
To me there's no sense in buying super-top-end when A) I can't even see the difference B) the technology will be "old" in about 10 seconds and C) It comes at a premium.

Then again, I do own a Rolex...

I agree, with a 42" screen size, you would hardly be able to see the difference if you spent the significant premium to go high-end.

Enjoy!

[Mrdi]

Lcd

[Ragu]

I have two Sony LCD's a 55" in living room and a 42" in dining/kitchen area.
Both are 720p and 1080i HD (2yrs old w/cable card slot) and still the Discovery channel and others in HD are as clear and vibrant as the day we purchased them.
TV's have come a long way.